The seconde tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testament conteynyng the epistles of S. Paul, and other the Apostles : wherunto is added a paraphrase vpon the reuelacion of S. John.

The vi. Chapiter.

The texte.

Brethren, if a man also be taken in any faulte, ye whiche are spiritual, healpe to a∣mende him, in the spirite of mekenes: consideryng thy selfe, lest thou also be tempted.

HItherto haue I shewed you (brethren) to what ende all they, that haue taken Christes religion vpon them, must enforce thē selfes. Yet because baptisme taketh not from vs, but that we are men styl, if any among you by reason of weakenes fal into any of∣fence, your part is, which are strōger, & by the spirit of God haue not geuē place to fleshly desyres, with gentle and meke wordes to restore him againe, en∣couragyng him vp, that he may rise againe, not w^t rough speache causing him to despayre. Hipocrites vse suche proud lokes and high wordes, but Christes spirite, forasmuche as it desyreth al mens saluacion, with meke and gentle meanes calleth men to amendement. And oftetymes it chaunceth, that whō a sharpe earnestnes withdraweth vtterly, them gentle and brotherly correccion maketh humble and boweth. Moses law after suche sorte suppresseth synne, that it destroyeth the siner, but christiā charitie so remedyeth vice, that she yet saueth y^• mā. The better thou arte, by so muche the more gentlely condescende thou to thy brothers weakenes. If Christes owne example moue the not suffici∣ently so to do, who most mercifully suffered his children, vntil tyme they amended, at lestwyse yet lette this encourage you, because ye knowe, that the like may chaunce vnto your selfes.

The texte.

Beare ye one an others burdaine, and so fulfil the lawe of Christ. For if any man seme to him selfe, that he is somewhat, when in dede he is nothing, the same deceiueth his owne minde.

This man is fallen, remember that thou art a fraile man also.. Let his fall be vnto the a lesson, neither to be bolde vpon thy selfe, nor yet to trust to muche in thine owne strength. Vse thy selfe towarde him that is fallen, as thou wouldest be glad to be vsed, if the like chaūced to the. And a mischaunce may befal any worldly man. Suche as at the mocion of cer¦taine false Apostles haue staggered, must not with cruelnes be banished out of your company, but charitably be called againe to theyr olde sted∣fastnes. The tyme may come, that they beyng made strong may againe beare with your weakenes. He that hath vpō him a heauy burdain, must be eased, and not throwen doune. Wherfore if eche of you beare others burdaines, then shal ye in euery point fulfill the lawe of charitie, whiche lawe is Christes owne lawe. Christ wheras he neither was vnder synne, nor nigh the ieopardye therof, yet bare he vpon him our wickednes, and of his great mercy healed vs, & condemned vs not, as one without pitie. Let no man thinke him selfe to be righteous, and vpon confidence therin despise his brother, that is with some kynde of synne entangled.

For a man to seame iust to him selfe, is a profe of a fained righteousnes. Wherfore if any man thinke him selfe somethyng, when he in dede is no∣thyng, he deceiueth him selfe.

The texte.

Let euery man proue his owne worke, and then shal he haue reioysyng, onely in his owne selfe, and not in an other. For euery man shal beare his owne burdaine.

For neither is any man therfore righteous, because he auaunceth him selfe before the sinner, nor is therfore one man defiled with other mennes synne, if he submitte him selfe to restore him againe. Nor is he therfore good, because he cōpareth him selfe to a worse. Euery man shalbe iudged by his owne dedes. Yet must noman in his owne dedes haue a confidēce, but euery manne must serche with him selfe, whether that, wherin he bea∣reth him selfe in hand to do well, be suche, as of God shuld be allowed. If thine owne conscience condemne the not, yet glory not, because other a••e weake, but glory of thyne owne strength, & glory inwardly, geuyng God thākes for his giftes bestowed vpon the, nor bost it among other, ne dis∣pise them, that are not so strong as thou art. Helpe him, if thou be able, if thou be not able, let God his iudge alone with him. Neither shal his synne diminishe thy rewarde, nor thou for an other mannes offence be punished, but before God euery man shal beare his owne burdaine.

The texte.

Let him that is taught in the worde, minister vnto him that teacheth him in all good thinges. Be not deceiued, God is not mocked. For what soeuer a man soweth that shal he also reape. For he that soweth in his fleshe, shal of the fleshe reape corrupcion: but he that soweth in the spirite, shal of the spirite reape life euerlastyng.

But as long as we be in this worlde, we are bounde eche one to helpe an other. And as it belongeth to them, whose giftes are aboue others, with teachyng, comfortyng & exhortacion to helpe their brothers weake∣nes, so let suche, as be holpen, remembre, that they be not vnthankeful to suche as haue done for them. And so among you shal al good thinges be comen, if they, that can preache the gospel, teache, comfort, & beare vppe the rude, and they againe that are taught, of theyr substaunce geue theyr teachers and counsailours necessaries, so that one do for an other. Let them that teache, take heede that theyr doctrine be christian, and sauor of the spirite of Christ, or els better wer it for a mā not to beleue his teacher at all. Besyde that, he that for corrupte teachyng the gospel receiueth mede of him, whō he so teacheth, the man he deceiueth, yea, and him selfe to, but God can not of him be deceiued. Wherfore my counsail is, that ye teache sincerely the gospel, for God is not mocked with. But suche seede as euery mā soweth, suche shal he mowe. Whoso teacheth carnal doctrin, for his sede he shal reape fruit which is corruptible. But he that teacheth spiritual doctrin, shal for his spiritual and heauenly counsail receiue like rewarde, whiche is life euerlastyng.

The texte.

Let vs not be weary of well doyng. For when the tyme is come, we shall repe with∣out wearynes. Whyle we haue therfore tyme: let vs do good vnto all men, and especi∣ally vnto them, whiche are of the housholde of fayth,

Therfore let vs alwaye endeuoure to do for all men, nor cease at any tyme to do good dedes, whether we haue gentle scholers, or vngentle, whether we haue a rewarde of men, or not. For when the tyme shall come, we shall gather fruite, whiche shall neuer dye, and receyue for our temporall la∣bours, wages euerlastyng. Sowyng time shall not alwaye continew, the tyme shall come, when we shal neither with our owne dedes be holpen, nor with other mennes. For the tyme of this present lyfe we maye with good workes wyll goddes fauour, and helpe other, but at the daye of iudgemēt, neither shall oure good workes haue place, nor we be able to do for anye other. Therfore let vs take the tyme, whyle it serueth, endeuouryng to do, bothe for all men, and specially for them, that are of the same religion and fayth, that we be of. The Iewe fauoureth none, but Iewes, but the christi∣an folowyng the example of Christe is desyrouse to do good for all men.

The texte.

¶Ye se, howe large a letter I haue wrytten vnto you with myne owne hand. As many as desyre with outwarde apparence to please carnally: the same constrayne you to be circumcised, only leste they shoulde suffer persecucion for the crosse of Christ. For they themselues, whiche are circumcised, kepe not the lawe, but desyre to haue you circumci∣sed, that they might reioyse in your fleshe.

Ye se (ye people of Galacia,) how I am in this matier delited, which with myne owne hand wrote vnto you ••o long an epistle. Ye knowe my hande wryting. No cause haue ye to thinke, that it is a counterfaite letter, it is all myne, and a declaracion of my good wyl towarde you. And looke, that it w^t you be of more weight, than anye false apostles doctrine. Suche as endeuoure rather to please men, than god, suche (I saye) moue you to be circumcised, to thintent they maye bryng you in hatred of the Gentiles for Christes sake, and in displeasure with the Iewes for lacke of circumci∣sion. Iewes are they, that so teache, and feare the displeasure of theyr coū∣treymen, yf they shoulde without circumcision preache Christe, as menne abolyshyng the lawe. Suche rather stande in feare of men, than of God, and seeke for prayse at mēnes handes, rather than at goddes. Suche feare leste the sincere profession of the crosse of Christe mighte stiere vp other, y^• hate Christes name, to persecute them, and feare also, leste they shoulde be coumpted for vnlearned, yf they shoulde nothyng elles teache, but this simple lesson: that Christ was crucified. Nor do they this for a very zeale borne to the lawe of theyr countrey, as I once erroniouslye dyd, persecu∣tyng the flocke of Christ, forasmuche as no not the Iewes self kepe y^• law, notwithstandyng they be of theyr forefathers circumcised, but abuse your rudenes, chargyng you with circumcision to the ende, that they among theyr companions maye vaunte themselfe, that through theyr preachyng and teachyng ye are fallen to Iewyshnes. This policie vse they to pacifie the enuie of theyr countrey men, whiche coulde not abyde, that throughe the gospell of Christe the lawe should be abrogate. As for I neither so feare the hatred of the Iewes, nor persecucion of the Gentiles, y^• I should with lesse ••inceritie preache Christes gospell.

The texte.

God forbid, that I shoulde reioyse, but in the crosse of our Lord Iesu Christ, Wher∣by the world is crucified vnto me, and I vnto the worlde. For in Christ Iesu neither cir¦cumcision auayleth any thyng at all, nor vncircumcision, but a newe creature.

God forbid, that I shoulde in anye thyng els reioyce, but in the crosse of my lorde Iesu Christe. The Gentiles, (I knowe) coumpte his crosse for a vilanie and reproche, the Iewes hate and enuie it, yet therin onlye put I all my glorie, whiche nothyng regarde worldly prayse, as one, to whome throughe baptisme beyng graffed into the bodie of Christe the worlde is deade, and contrary wyse I to the worlde, nor am I with aduersities ther∣of a fearde, nor with prosperities delited, nor passe vpon the displeasure, nor couet the commendacion, without all feare of worldly reproche, and without desyre of vaynglory. Christe onlye is for me sufficient both for al, and agaynst all. To whose profession, whether a man come, circumcised out of the stocke of the Iewes, or not circumcised out of the stocke of the Gentiles, it forceth not. Into whose bodye, whoso through fayth is trans∣fourmed, is sodaynely in suche sorte chaunged, that he is become a newe creature, and called regenerate. A button therfore for all worldely diffe∣rences. Whoso professeth Christe, let him nothyng els remember, but that he is a christian man.

The texte.

And as manye as walke acordyng to this rule, peace be on them, and mercye, and v∣pon Israel, that pertayneth to God. From hencefurthe let no man put me to busynes. For I beare in my body the markes of the lorde Iesu. Brethren the grace of oure lorde Iesu Christ be with your spirite. Amen.

Let this be a sure rule, whiche rule, whosoeuer folowe, to them wyshe I peace and mercye, ••or meete it is to wyshe them the same thing, whiche Dauid wished to the Israelytes in the Psalmes, where he saythe: peace be vpon Israel. But there be of Isralites two sortes, one, whiche is so a∣coumpted before men, and an other before god. For he is not streyght a vecie Israelite, whiche is but circumcised, but he, whose mynde is circum¦cised, and he that through fayth is strong to godwarde. To suche Israe∣lites then, of whiche noumber ye also be, wyshe I peace and mercie. Away with false Israelites, suche as stubbernly and maliciously stryue agaynst the gospell of Christe, they shall neuer from this doctryne moue me, but, what I haue preached, that wyll I euer preache. And therfore in this ma∣tier let no mā here after trouble me. So far am I from to be moued from the truthe of the gospell with any vilanye or affliccion, that whether soc∣uer I go, I carie about in my bodye all the spite, that I haue for Christe sustayned, as emprisonmentes, scourgynges, chaynes, stonynges, with o∣ther aduersities suffered for Christes name, as tokens and markes of my Lorde Iesus Christe, blasyng them out, as certayne sygnes of my victo∣ries, coumptyng this for my glorie, that I, as farre as maye be, deserue to folow the crosse of Christ, whome I preache. The grace and good wyll of our Lorde Iesus Christ (brethren) be euer with your spirite, y^• through his ayde ye maye continewe in the truthe of the gospell: whiche desyer of myne, that it maye take effecte, he graunte, by whose spirite I wrote these.

Notes

• Consideryng thy selfe, lest y^• be tempted.
• Beare ye one anothers bur¦daine
• Be not decei∣ued God i••m not mocked.
• When the time ••o come, we sh••l reape without we•• ••yn. ••.
• Wherby the worlde is cru¦••••••ified vnto me, & I vnto the world.
• I beare in my bodye the markes of y^• lorde Iesu.